The Unusual Suspect - Herpes Zoster as the Culprit for Severe Abdominal Pain. A Case Report.

Abstract

Reactivation of herpes zoster leading to disseminated and visceral organ involvement is an uncommon phenomenon and almost always associated with immunocompromised patients. Visceral herpes zoster is a challenging diagnosis to make as patients typically present with severe abdominal pain which precedes the typical rash of herpes zoster. We describe the case of a 68-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and was subsequently diagnosed with disseminated herpes zoster and found to have underlying monoclonal gammopathy.